1. Equity and Social Justice
Class Participation Guidelines (…developing trust, safety and full participation)
Set own boundaries for sharing
Speak from experience – avoid generalities
Respect confidentiality
Share air time
Listen respectfully
Focus on own learning
Do not blame or scapegoat
Respect different experiences and perspectives
Okay, your turn….add more / delete some

2. Equity and Social Justice
Class Participation Guidelines (…developing trust, safety and full participation)
Step 2 …more from you
Identify the benchmarks, measurements or indicators for each guideline. That is, how do you “know” that respectful listening is happening? NOTE: Everyone has to understand, and once agreed to, each person is responsible for adhering personally.
Try to identify cultural, language or gendered differences embedded in a guideline. For example, “safe” may be considered as a guideline. What is the difference between “safe” and “comfortable”?
NOTE: Nothing is carved in stone. We will constantly review our guidelines and assess their effectiveness.

3. Equity and Social Justice
Comfort Zone, Learning Edge and Triggers

4. Equity and Social Justice
Comfort Zone, Learning Edge and Triggers
Comfort Zone
Inside
Familiar
Lots of information
May not learn when challenged
May withdraw when threatened
Course Goal – We are on the edge of our comfort zones

5. Equity and Social Justice
Learning Edge
Optimal place to expand understanding and awareness
Causes internal reaction
Know we are on the edge by paying attention to our and class reactions (e.g., annoyance, anger, anxiety, surprise, confusion, defensiveness)
Challenge is to stay on the learning edge, face discomfort and experience outcomes

6. Equity and Social Justice
Triggers
Words or phrases that stimulate an emotional response because they tap into anger or pain about oppression issues (Obear, 2000).
Denotes an instantaneous response to stimuli without conscious thought
Convey, conscious or unconsciously, stereotypical perception or acceptance of the status quo

7. Equity and Social Justice
Example of Triggers
I do not see differences; people are people to me.
I think men are just biologically more adapted to leadership roles than women.
I feel sorry for people with disabilities (deficits). It is such a tragedy.
Homeless people prefer their life.
If women wear tight clothes, they are asking for it.
If everyone just worked hard, they could achieve.
What do people really want anyway?
Coloured people are blowing things way out of proportion

8. Equity and Social Justice
…you again…
How can we identify learning edges and triggers that encourage open and respectful dialogue?
“say so” (e.g., I feel upset)
Listen and understand (e.g., “food for thought” – not trying to change attitudes immediately)
Avoid defensiveness
No mistakes (e.g., likely we will trigger someone’s emotional response)

9. Equity and Social Justice
Literature Cited
Obear, K.H. (2000). Exploring the phenomenon of tirggering events for social justice educators. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61 (07), 2563A